Strawberry of the Wild's
by HaveBookWillTravel
Summary: After the stress and violence of fighting a war against a false god, Kurosaki Ichigo is about ready to relax and enjoy his remaining high school years as a normal student, bereft of his powers. The Song siblings and the girls of Wild's High School, however, might say otherwise. Bleach/Girls of the Wild's crossover. GEN for now, might change later on.
1. Wild Strawberry

**A/N: **So recently, I've started getting into manhwa comics (notably, The Gamer and Girls of the Wild's), and as a fanfic enthusiast, I've naturally come up with a few ideas. This one popped up just a day or two ago, and since I have literally no self-control, I started writing it up immediately.

And thus, a fanfic was born.

Anyway, this is just a basic crossover where a character from one piece of fiction (in this case, Ichigo) gets entangled in the plot of another piece of fiction (in this case, GotW). Fortunately, this fits quite snugly with canon of Bleach, since this will be set during the seventeen month time-skip after Ichigo pwns Aizen.

Regardless, I just wanted to see how far I could go with this and be done with it. Just, y'know, to get the damn thing out of my head. I have entirely too much crap going on up there, anyway.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing of either the Bleach franchise, nor the web comic Girls of the Wild's. Be thankful, 'cause if I did, both stories would suck. A lot.

**Warnings: **General warnings for T-rated fanfic; some blood, some 'adult' situations, a whole helluva lot of swearing and cursing, and since I know little to nothing about South Korean education and culture, lots of artistic license regarding that sort of stuff. You have been warned.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Wild Strawberry**

* * *

"Oi, Jae Hyung, Jae Som. Up and at 'em already."

Casting an eye on the three brown-thatched heads lying in the futon in the middle of the room, Kurosaki Ichigo wondered just how he had managed to wind up in his current predicament, ready to start his second year of high school hundreds of miles from home in a foreign country at a place that had previously been a celebrated all-girls school. Not to mention unofficially adopting a family of three. Sometimes, he lamented his overprotective nature.

Of course, it had been Oyaji who'd kicked it all off. After the whole thing with Aizen and losing his shinigami powers and everything that went with them, Ichigo had felt like just sleeping for a few years. Unfortunately, he still had to tend to his education and see that he could make enough money to support himself (and his family when Goat-Face eventually went completely batshit), but he finished up first year with moderately good grades.

However, something palpable had been missing in his life, and he knew that, for all his griping as a child about wanting to just be normal and not be able to see spirits, he missed the good old days (and _geez,_ he felt so old even thinking that) when he and his friends patrolled their city, cutting through any Hollows that got in their way.

Well, his friends still went on patrols, even if they tried unsuccessfully to hide it. Had they always been so transparent in their excuses (once, Chad had just straight up asked the teacher if they really cared by that point and walked out)? Regardless, his inability to help Chad, Uryu, and Orihime constantly grated on his nerves. It was nobody's fault but his own for choosing to use Mugetsu, and he had learned that he needed to live with the consequences of his actions early on in life, so all he could do was suck it up and move on.

But what with everyone starting to gear up for their futures and college exams looming just a couple years away, nobody seemed to realize that he was slowly digging himself into a rut, with the possible exception of Tatsuki, who always seemed to know when he was in one of his moods and dragged him off to spar or play Tekken. His sisters more than likely had an inkling of what was going on as well.

It had been a surprise, therefore, when Isshin of all people had sat him down with a face more serious than any Ichigo had ever seen on his father.

_"Ichigo, you need to get away from here for awhile."_

_"What the hell? Are you trying to kick me out already? I'm not even done with school yet!"_

_"Calm down, Ichigo. You need to be away from this place in order to recover from all of your ordeals this past year. You've been too busy, and even you can't hide your feelings from your old man. There's a school in Seoul that's willing to accept you at the beginning of March, and I've enrolled you for a semester. If you don't like it, we'll bring you back."_

_"Seoul? As in Seoul, _South Korea_!?"_

Ichigo remembered that conversation as distinctly odd, the way his pops had used actual logic and common sense to back up his arguments (with only a few of his usual dumb ass remarks tossed in for consistency), and in the end, Isshin had worn him down and lo and behold, Kurosaki Ichigo was in South freakin' Korea.

Even more suspicious was the fact that Geta-Boushi had been the one to see him off rather than his family, giving him a rather large duffel bag that contained "the essentials," according to the ex-captain. Upon his arrival in Seoul, Ichigo discovered that apparently, that entailed a map to, and a key for, his (already paid-for) apartment, a few school uniforms, and (motherfucking Geta-Boushi) one _billion_ won. A card nestled in with all the _essentials_ noted that he should consider this a thanks for taking care of the God-sized pain in the ass known as Aizen Sousuke.

Once he'd settled in, he began to relax, something that he didn't think could be possible after all the insane shit he'd been through. His father had been right; ever since he'd met Rukia, his life had been one disaster after the next, and he'd begun to unconsciously look for threats.

It had been exhausting, always coiled like a spring wound up too tightly, and he thought that perhaps his dad had been onto something. After all, he _was _a doctor, and it was pretty hard to fake a medical degree these days. Who knew, maybe Ichigo had been suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or some psychological bull crap. Whatever it was, Ichigo truly hadn't felt so calm in what felt like forever.

And then he'd met Song Jae Gu and his twin siblings.

* * *

It had taken a bit of doing, but Ichigo had found himself a part-time job (because fuck if he was going to live off _Geta-Boushi's _money; he could use that to buy himself a car somewhere down the line) at a car wash just a few minutes from his apartment and the school he'd be going to. The manager was quite nice and respectful of Ichigo's privacy, and most of his co-workers seemed friendly enough.

By the end of his first week in Korea, Ichigo had a rather comfortable place to live, a vague plan for school, and knew the people he interacted with on a regular basis enough to (tentatively) call them acquaintances. Song Jae Gu was a different story, though. He was quiet, really only spoke to the manager, and kept his head down and his back bent most of the time.

Ichigo couldn't call him rude (the pot and kettle); anytime Ichigo spoke to Jae Gu, the younger boy would answer as politely as possible, if slightly stilted, and try to worm his way out of the conversation as quickly as he could. Ichigo would allow it because he knew that he could be pretty intimidating to strangers, what with his practically trademark scowl, but there was just something about the slant of the kid's shoulders that had his protective instincts flare up. It was like Jae Gu had the weight of the world pressing down _hard_ on his back, and Ichigo knew exactly how that felt.

One day, about a week before school was set to start, Ichigo decided to make a little extra for his lunch because he'd seen Jae Gu's pitiful excuse for a bento day after day, and nobody could work the way Jae Gu did on an empty stomach without some serious problems.

So when the workers settled down for their afternoon break, Ichigo plopped himself down on the bench next to Jae Gu, whipped out his lunch, and waited for the younger boy to finish off the tiny cup of rice he'd brought.

"That all you're gonna eat?" Ichigo had quipped in what he hoped was an offhand tone.

Despite his meekness, Jae Gu bristled. "It's all I need," the brown-haired boy snapped, and Ichigo internally nodded in approval; at least he had some fight in him.

"You work twice as hard as anyone else on half a tank of gas at best, kid," Ichigo had retorted, catching Jae Gu in a not-quite glare. "If you don't take better care of yourself, you're gonna end up collapsing halfway through the work day."

Before Jae Gu could say anything else, Ichigo slid some food across the bench. It wasn't anything special, just a bit of gyudon and some onigiri with bean paste inside. He was no Yuzu, but people often forgot that it had been Ichigo who had taught Yuzu the basics before she'd gone all Martha Stewart on them, and he knew his way around the kitchen fairly well.

"I don't know any Korean dishes, so you might not like it, but..."

"I don't want your charity," Jae Gu had said after a moment's pause as he salivated over the beef.

Ah, so that was it. Jae Gu's family was poor.

"It ain't charity," Ichigo grumbled. "I just made too much, and it'll go to waste if nobody eats it." Ichigo jerked his head at the few other workers on their shift. "Those clowns do half-assed work at best. You're twice as diligent, and if we have our best washer faint like a swooning girl it'll be bad for business."

Jae Gu slanted a suspicious look at Ichigo, then down at the food between them. "Well," he'd mumbled hesitantly, "if it's for the good of the car wash..."

Ichigo had never seen anyone devour his food so quickly.

Over the next couple of days, the pair had formed a friendly rapport and Ichigo had started cooking lunch for two. It went on until two days before the Wild's High School opening ceremony.

"Sunbae," Jae Gu had begun. "Erm...well, yesterday, I saved a bit of the lunch you made and brought it home." Ichigo had seen the little sleight of hand, but chalked it up to Jae Gu wanting to squirrel it away for later. "My siblings, Jae Hyung and Jae Som enjoyed the curry rice you made...and I was wondering if you'd...um...teach me how to make it?"

"No problem," Ichigo had agreed easily. It was the first time Jae Gu had even spoken about the rest of his family. "So I'll just go with you to your home, we'll pick up some ingredients along the way and cook there."

"Ah...well, I'm not sure the twins will be too thrilled if I bring a stranger home..."Jae Gu trailed off in embarrassment.

"They're twins?" Ichigo tried not to let his pleased grin show. "I have twin sisters back in Japan. You might find this hard to believe, but I'm actually pretty good with kids. Jae Gu had raised an incredulous eyebrow at him, and he rolled his eyes.

"I...I guess, if they don't mind."

And so, that night, Ichigo had gone up the hill to the tiny little shack the Song family called home, met a pair of absolutely adorable fraternal twins, and cooked for them. And in the end, Ichigo had spent the night out in the small courtyard, struggling with himself.

The day after, since both Ichigo and Jae Gu had the day off to prepare for school, Ichigo had taken the brunette aside while the twins played with a puzzle Ichigo had picked up for them.

"You're coming to live with me."

The surprise and incredulity Jae Gu had expressed was gut-wrenching for Ichigo. He had no idea what these siblings had gone through, but he knew that he wouldn't stand aside and watch it happen. From what he'd been able to glean from the twins' loose lips and Jae Gu's tight-lipped expressions, they'd been living alone for quite a while with only Jae Gu's limited income to support them. The apartment Geta-Boushi had managed to procure for him was only a one bedroom/one bathroom affair, but it was miles beyond the little single-room-period place they were in.

Jae Gu had spent the next two hours trying to talk Ichigo out of his decision, but the poor boy had no clue that Ichigo was stubborn enough to launch what amounted to an invasion of a foreign land with half a dozen fighters, little to no intel, and manage to come out on top with not a single loss on their side. Nor did he realize Ichigo had fought for three months straight just to learn a single technique. There wasn't a damn force in this entire universe that could change Ichigo's mind once it was made up, least of all Song Jae Gu.

So once they'd met with the Song's landlord, convinced him that they would no longer be living there, and packing up their meager belongings, Ichigo had taken Jae Gu, Jae Hyung, and Jae Som back to his place and set them up.

Sleeping on the couch had been a bit odd, but he figured that he'd slept in absurdly spacious sewers and under the light of an eternal moon in an endless desert, so he could suck it up.

It was well past midnight when Ichigo heard the footsteps padding uncertainly across the hardwood floors toward him. Sitting up, Ichigo's eyes made out Jae Gu's silhouette, and turned the lamp on, startling the brunette.

"Sorry if I woke you up," Jae Gu hurriedly apologized, but Ichigo waved it off immediately.

"I wasn't asleep yet. I have some trouble with insomnia lately." Which wasn't a lie; sometimes, random scenes of the past year sneaked into his dreams, only with more gruesome outcomes than he had ever imagined. He made some room for Jae Gu to sit down, and the boy slid onto the cushions.

He was quiet for a while, then, "Why are you doing this?"

"We've only been friends for a few weeks, so you don't know this," Ichigo said quietly. "I'm the kind of person who, if I see something that bothers me, I do my damnedest to change it. I don't like how you've had to carry whatever burden it is on your shoulders for so long, so I'm changing it the best way I know how. You don't deserve that, and neither do the twins."

Ichigo glanced toward Jae Gu, and was mildly panicked when he noticed moisture running down his new roommate's cheeks. Crying girls, he had some experience with, having Yuzu as a sister and quite a few overemotional female friends. Crying boys were a problem he was definitely _not_ equipped to handle.

"I just...we haven't..." Jae Gu managed to rein in his emotions and wipe the tears from his face. "I'm not used to people showing such kindness."

"Yeah, people can be jackasses," Ichigo allowed. He was only sixteen, but he knew better than many how cruel the world could be.

"My dad died when I was really young," Jae Gu said in a tone of voice that Ichigo had only heard from people describing their back stories. "I can't even remember what it was that killed him anymore...when he died, I told my mom that I'd help her out with everything." Jae Gu choked out a bitter laugh, something Ichigo had never heard from the usually meek, kindhearted kid. "I suppose she took that to mean that I would take care of literally _everything_. She left us a little bit of money and a bank account, and then left."

Ichigo felt his heart plummet. Their mother had _abandoned them_!? He had to clench both his teeth and his fists in order to stop himself from yelling or breaking something; it wouldn't do for Jae Gu to think he was mad at _him_.

For Ichigo, who'd had a loving mother and a supportive (if admittedly crazy) father, parental abandonment was something that he quite literally _couldn't_ comprehend. Parents were supposed to be there for their kids no matter what happened. Even Goat-Face hadn't pulled something like that when Masaki had passed and had done his duty as a father. He was great with the girls, and at this moment in time, he thanked whatever higher being up there that his batshit insane pops hadn't flown the coop and left him in charge of Yuzu and Karin.

"That was almost four years ago. The landlord back there, he was nice enough to let us live on his property, and Manager Kim gave me the job at the car wash, but...nobody's ever been as kind as you have."

Ichigo felt stinging in his own eyelids even as Jae Gu started crying again. "You must have terrible luck then, Jae Gu, if _I'm_ the nicest person you've ever met. I won't lie; you've had a shit life. The world's been using you like a cosmic crapper." Jae Gu's shoulders began slumping as he hunched down, acknowledging his destiny as the lowest of the low.

"But you wanna know something?" Ichigo forged on, grabbing Jae Gu's shoulder to draw the brunette's attention. "_You're still here_. You're still kicking and punching and _screaming_, defying whatever fate's been hoisted onto your shoulders. You're a _damn_ fine brother, a hard worker, and I would be proud to be able to count you as a friend."

The shocked look in Jae Gu's gray eyes was reason enough to go through with this. Someone who could survive _four years_ like that was someone with a strong, nigh indomitable spirit, and Ichigo would be damned if he let the world keep pushing this young man around on a whim until he broke.

"From now on, you won't have to worry so hard about taking care of your family. 'Cause now you're part of _my _family, and the Kurosaki don't let family down, no matter _what_."

That was probably the straw on the proverbial camel's back because Jae Gu just let out a small sob and leaned into Ichigo, bawling like he hadn't done so in years. From the bedroom, two squeaks preceded a pair of brown-haired missiles homing in on Jae Gu.

"Oppa, don't cry," Jae Som wailed even as tears streamed from her eyes. "You're the best oppa ever, so don't worry about us."

Jae Hyung, doing an admirable job of holding back his own blubbering, added, "Yeah, now that we've got hyung with us, you can rest sometimes. And we're big and grown up, so we can help you also!"

Ichigo, having had more crying kids around him than he'd had in the last five years, stood up and began guiding the three siblings back to the bedroom. "Okay, now that we've had our little tear-fest, it's time for sleep. Everyone's got a big day tomorrow."

And so, Ichigo found himself whipping up some tamagoyaki for breakfast while the twins washed up and changed into their daycare uniforms. He made sure to let Jae Gu catch a couple extra winks before nudging him awake as well.

"Sunbae, you could have woken me up," Jae Gu muttered reproachfully as he shoveled down the eggs and some rice. "It's the least I can do."

"You've already done more than you need," Ichigo shot back. "Now hurry up and get changed for school. It's your first day of high school right? Where is it, anyway?"

"Ah, I got a scholarship at a school very near here, you might have heard of it..."

"DOWN!" Jae Gu jumped as Jae Som turned the television on and it blared out commentary for a highlight reel of some female fighter named Queen. "It's the fourth down! Kim Hye Shin is down. She's sitting, but can't stand up!"

"...it's called Wild's High School," Jae Gu muttered after turning the volume down. Ichigo watched the rest of the match, noting the bullheaded determination of the redheaded fighter before she got kicked in the forehead.

"She's got some spunk," he noted, jabbing his chopsticks at the screen. "So, we're going to the same school, huh? Do you know anything about it?"

"Well, I hear it's a prestigious sports school," Jae Gu said absently as he made sure Jae Hyung didn't forget to put on his underwear again. "I probably won't fit in, since all the clubs have something to do with martial arts."

"I could teach you some stuff," Ichigo offered as he checked the time. "I used to be pretty good at fighting." Jae Gu would never have to know how much of an understatement that was.

"I'm not...I don't like fighting," Jae Gu mumbled, and Ichigo got the sense that there was more to it than just Jae Gu being a pacifist.

"Well, whatever," Ichigo shrugged. "Let's get going. Gotta drop off the twins before we head over to Wild's."

"You don't have to walk me to school," Jae Gu puffed up indignantly.

"Well, what am I supposed to do? We're going to the same high school, after all," Ichigo said, wondering if this was what it was like for Geta-Boushi whenever he revealed some unknown-to-everyone-else tidbit of information. Jae Gu's flabbergasted expression was totally worth it.

* * *

Song Jae Gu had spent pretty much the past week in an almost constant daze of confusion. Somehow (and don't ask Jae Gu, because he certainly had no clue), a foreigner only a year older than him with a gruff scowl and hair the color of autumn had swooped in, befriended him, and then taken Jae Gu and his twin siblings under his wing (and into his apartment) with barely so much as a by-your-leave.

And damn it, it had probably been the best week Jae Gu had experienced in _years_.

At first, he had been more than wary of the Japanese exchange student who'd gotten work at the car wash, especially with that intimidating face of his. But after only a few days of knowing Kurosaki Ichigo, Jae Gu had realized that that near-constant frown of his was something like a defense mechanism. It was Ichigo's warm brown eyes that convinced him, really. No matter how much Ichigo bitched about not being nice, or kind, his eyes told the story of a soul as mushy as juk.

The way he treated the twins (and young kids in general) was also quite telling. So when Ichigo offered (read: demanded) that they could stay with him, Jae Gu hadn't dug his heels in quite as much as he could have. It was very...different, waking up to the sound of a meal being prepared and the twins pattering around while Ichigo nagged them into washing up and eating like an experienced mother hen, and then being nagged at to get up as well.

No one had woken him up like that since...

...anyway, it had been quite a change of pace for Jae Gu, but definitely not an unwelcome one. The fact that Ichigo could make grilled eggs taste so good was simply an added bonus. Then, of course, Ichigo had revealed that he was going to be going to the same high school as Jae Gu, albeit in a higher grade, but the fact remained.

He would have at least one friend, never mind that Jae Gu knew practically nothing about Ichigo other than that he was from a place called Karakura, and that he had twin sisters a few years younger him and a father back home. Perhaps the reason Ichigo had reacted so..._severely_ to his situation was that his mother had run off as well.

After seeing the twins off at the bus stop, the pair of high schoolers headed off toward Wild's and their first taste of Korean secondary education.

"That stuff'll stunt your growth, y'know," Ichigo muttered, jerking his chin at the bag of coffee milk Jae Gu was nursing as they walked.

"But it's _good_," Jae Gu most certainly did _not_ whine, clutching the bag defensively. "It's kept me running for four years without any problems."

"Yeah, yeah," Ichigo began, looking ready to lecture him.

Instead, he glanced sharply to his left as someone shouted, "I'LL COUNTER LIKE THIS!"

Jae Gu only had time to register the surprised look on the girl on the bike before he felt a hand snatch his collar and yank him out of the way of the tire bearing down on him. Unfortunately, he felt the milk bag fly out of his mouth, and he spared a moment to lament the lost nectar of the gods.

Which then promptly spilled all over the (very shapely) legs of the girl who was walking with the bike-girl.

She wore the same uniform both Ichigo and Jae Gu wore (with the exception of a skirt rather than trousers, obviously), and had long, blonde hair that cascaded down her back.

"Oh, this is going to get ugly," the bike-girl muttered under her breath with a grimace. Her rose-colored hair was tied up in a bun, and she wore a red tracksuit with yellow accents to match the bike she rode.

"Alright, Jae Gu?" Ichigo asked, releasing his grip on his jacket. Jae Gu saw Ichigo's eyes dart across to where the two girls were disinterestedly, and he realized that he had ruined the blonde's uniform.

"I'm so sorry, he apologized immediately, "but you know it was a mistake, right? I didn't spill my coffee on you on purpose...but..."

Ichigo rested a hand on his shoulder and said, "We'll foot the dry-cleaning bill, don't worry. And, y'know, sorry and everything." He slanted his gaze toward bike-girl and said, "You really should watch where you aim that thing."

Before the redhead could answer, the blonde ground out, "Never mind the uniform. Stockings: one-thirty, shoes: one-fifty. Replace it."

"Huh? Really?" Jae Gu began rummaging in his pockets and pulled out some change and handed over some coins. Then, thoroughly embarrassed, Jae Gu pulled Ichigo along by the sleeve, leaving the two girls rooted to the spot. He thought he heard the redhead snicker, but he didn't stop until they were out of sight.

"I'm pretty sure her stockings and shoes were more than that," Ichigo said slowly, "unless I've seriously misunderstood how won vs. yen works."

Once his mind cleared, Jae Gu realized that of course they would have cost more than that. She must have been talking ten-thousands. But then, "Her stockings and shoes cost _millions_ of won?"

"Rich people can be pretty stupid," agreed Ichigo. "Come on, we can't be late. I'm fairly certain we're the only guys this year."

It took him a few steps, but Ichigo's comment sank in. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"Oh, did I not mention?" Ichigo asked, a half-smirk pulling his lips up on one side. "Up until this year, Wild's High has been an all-girls school for the last forty-two years.

Jae Gu would swear to his dying breath that Ichigo enjoyed the high-pitched sound he made upon learning _that_ particular revelation.

* * *

**After-Action Report: **So, there we have it. From what my research has led me to believe, there is only one crossover between Bleach and GotW, by the marvelous **Infinite** **Zangetsu** (who helped me get this thing started and read a bit of the opening chapter. I hope this doesn't get lost in the archives like so many other fanfics do.

If you didn't know, **gyudon **is a bowl of rice with stewed beef ontop while **onigiri **are rice balls, commonly wrapped in nori seaweed. **Tamagoyaki** is something like a multi-layered Japanese omelette. And when Jae Gu is talking about how Ichigo's soul is as soft as **juk_,_**he is referring to Korean porridge. I think I got all of them, but if you have questions, just review or PM.

I seriously don't know how Korean honorifics work (I barely comprehend Japanese honorifics either), but from what limited experience I have, I think **oppa** is how a girl would refer to her older brother, and likewise **hyung**is how a boy would refer to his older brother. **Sunbae **is the Japanese equivalent of **sempai/senpai **and that's basically my knowledge of Korean honorifics.

I wouldn't mind some help on that front.

Regardless, if you have questions, comments, corrections, or just pure, unadulterated flames, review or PM. And thanks for reading!


	2. C'est La Vie

**Author's Note: **Well, this story's got its claws in me for the moment, so I figure I'd jump on it while my muse is still with me. For those not familiar with my update schedule, I'll make it simple. I suck at it. Some of my other stories haven't been updated in a freakin' _year_. So when you look at this story and find it hasn't had a new chapter in a while, blame...um...not me...because it's totally not my fault for being an unreliable, irresponsible writer or anything, okay?

Anyway, I really do appreciate all the love this little fic has garnered in the past week or so. It really means a lot. Special thanks go to the fifteen beautiful souls who reviewed the last chapter. You are my heroes, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Okay, now that that's done, we can proceed with the fic.

**Disclaimer **and **Warnings **still apply from the first chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 2: C'est La Vie**

* * *

Ichigo stomped down on the urge to sigh in irritation as he tried to ignore the stares boring into him from literally _every_ person in the classroom. Did these girls, like, _never_ interact with guys or something?

The teacher was going on about how the second years had a duty to the freshmen and to maintain a good model for the underclassmen to look up to, but nobody was quite paying attention, even the teacher herself. Everyone was just..._eyeing_ him like a piece of meat.

It couldn't be karma, could it? He'd always tried to be chivalrous and shit, never objectifying women or being a general creep toward any female (his mother had taught him better, child, mhm). Turnabout was only fair play when there was something to turn about, right? Or maybe it was an inherited thing? Goat-Face didn't _seem_ like the lecherous type, but one never could tell...

Once the teacher had dismissed them, Ichigo left almost at once, falling into a sort of stalking pace that he hoped deterred any sort of idea that he wanted anyone to come up and engage him in conversation. His scowl settled into place as well, just for good measure; he could always count on his trusty scowl to see him through the day.

He let his feet guide him, and he eventually found himself staring out the windows of the first floor, looking down on the courtyard where gaggles of girls gathered on the grass as they gleefully gossiped about their break. A buzz from his pocket made him pull out his phone and discover that he was getting a call from...

...oh. That couldn't be good.

Quickly answering, Ichigo tried to make his vocal cords behave themselves as he said, "Hey, Tatsuki. What's up?"

_"What's up? Is that all you have to say for yourself? _What's up_? Seriously, I don't hear from you for weeks and then I find out from Asano _Fucking _Keigo that you've transferred to a school in SEOUL!?"_

Ichigo could just picture a rather irate Tatsuki carefully check her grip for fear of crushing the delicate hardware she was using to communicate with him. "Well it was sort of a surprise to me, too," he tried to defend himself. "Goat-Face strong-armed me into it, and Geta-Boushi ended up helping out as well."

There was a long pause before Tatsuki asked, _"Is this about...about that crazy spirit-stuff you're involved in?"_

"Sort of," Ichigo answered hesitantly. "I think Oyaji is hoping this could help me put all of _that_ behind me, y'know, like a fresh perspective or something."

_"And is it?"_

Ichigo really sometimes hated how perceptive Tatsuki was. She wasn't usually like that, but when it came to his own personal problems, she could read him like a favorite book.

"It's certainly not hurting anything," he admitted. "It's actually pretty nice, to be honest. Those two meddling old bastards somehow managed to get me enrolled at Wild's High School..."

_"Waitwaitwait," _Tatsuki cut him off. _"You're telling me that Isshin-jii enrolled you at an all-_girls' _school?" _He could make out her conflicting tone, caught between amusement and jealousy.

"Yeah," he said reluctantly. "Thankfully, I'm not the only guy here. I made friends with a kid named Song Jae Gu. Nice guy, a year below me. He and his family are sort of in a difficult spot..."

_"...so you ended up taking them in," _the second-strongest girl in Japan finished, not sounding at all surprised. _"Careful you don't bleed all over them with that gaping chest wound of yours, you big softie."_

"Oi, I don't know how you people manage to come up with an idea like that," Ichigo protested lamely.

_"You sure you're okay over there?"_

The concern in Tatsuki's voice caught him off-guard, and he ruffled the hair that had slowly begun creeping down his neck uncomfortably. "I'm alright, Tats, really. You don't have to worry about me; I'm a grown-ass man already."

_"More like a weak little crybaby in a grown-ass man's body," _Tatsuki fired back, her usual caustic tone back. _"Keep in touch; I don't wanna have to hear big news like this from Tweedledumshit anymore. I swear, he's lording it over me like some...lordy person who lords things over people."_

"Your powers of simile are astounding, Tats," Ichigo said, rolling his eyes. As he did so, he noticed someone in the periphery of his vision. Turning, he recognized the girl who'd almost flattened Jae Gu with her bike earlier that morning, standing patiently off to the side and wondered how long she'd been there. "I'll call you later and catch you up."

_"Yeah, okay. Make sure you call the twins as well; they miss you."_

"Alright. See you."

As soon as he hung up, the girl pounced. "Hey, you're Kurosaki Ichigo, right? The exchange student from Japan?" Without waiting for a reply, she smiled and pointed at her with a thumb. "I'm Lee Moon Young, president of the Boxing Club, also Class 2-A Welterweight champ. Nice to meet ya."

"You seem to know who I am already," Ichigo said, nodding once as he noted her credentials. A boxing champion in a school that seemed to be practically _built_ around martial arts was no one to scoff at. "Was there something you needed?"

"Yeah, Queen wants to see you and your friend, I think his name was Song Jae Gu or something?"

Ichigo recalled the blonde girl from earlier that morning. He'd seen her beat the crap out of that feisty redhead on TV who'd reminded him of Renji, and had recognized her instantly when Jae Gu had spilled that damn coffee milk on her. She could be dangerous, but he didn't exactly take too kindly to people who presumed to give him orders.

"And what does she want, exactly?" Ichigo asked. "Gonna give us a bill or something?"

Moon Young snorted. "Gonna give you a swift kick in the ass if you talk to her so disrespectfully. She's the daughter of the YK Group's head, practically a queen."

"Hence the name," Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Listen, let's just go and I'll pay for whatever. Jae Gu doesn't have to get involved."

"He's the one that spilled the coffee all over Queen," pointed out Moon Young, raising a curious eyebrow.

"So?" Ichigo retorted defensively. "I caused the incident by pulling him back. You caused it by nearly running him over with your bike. _She_ caused it by not reacting as quickly as she could have. I've seen how she fights...with reflexes like hers, she could have dodged ten of those bags easy." He shrugged. "We can play the blame game all we want. So long as I'm willing to cover the costs, what's the difference in the end?"

Moon Young raised her hands in defeat. "Suit yourself. It doesn't matter to me, but Queen wanted the both of you. She won't be pleased."

"Like I give two shits about what pleases her," Ichigo answered bluntly, and Moon Young let out a startled laugh.

"A man in this country who knows who Queen is and _isn't_ struck dumb, deaf, and blind by her beauty and ferocity! Now I've seen everything!"

"I'm from Japan, remember?" Ichigo said. "I'm not so easily impressed by a pretty face with a few martial arts tricks." Especially since he'd seen pretty faces who could cut down Hollows the size of skyscrapers, swallow frikkin' energy beams and blast them back twice as hard, and all manner of insane things. Beauty and a bit of brawn wasn't going to turn him into a blithering idiot. He had _some _class.

"Well, come on then," Moon Young said, turning back the way they'd come. Ichigo went to follow, but a flicker of motion out of the corner of his eye made him pause. As he watched, a rather short girl with what appeared to be..._cat ears_ poking out of her honey-blonde hair had just opened the window and nonchalantly hopped out to the ground...a floor down...

Ichigo raced to the window in time to see her land daintily, then promptly smash her elbow through the window directly below the one she'd just leapt from.

"What the...?" Ichigo couldn't exactly see what was going on, but the girl said something to whomever she had grabbed onto, and then leaned in. Moon Young came up next to him and glanced at the scene.

"That's Choi Dal Dal, president of the Taekwondo Club," she said. "She's always been quite the little firecracker. Always so high-strung." Moon Young grinned coyly. "Myself, on the other hand..."

She was interrupted by Choi Dal Dal shrieking, "ARGH, DAMN! WHAT KIND OF EMBARRASSMENT IS THIS!" She hauled the person out of the window and slammed them into the ground before mounting them. And Ichigo really figured that he shouldn't be surprised to recognize Jae Gu being pinned by the tiny girl. "I WILL HAVE YOU CONQUORED!"

"Oh, geez," Ichigo grumbled, then jumped down as well. He heard Moon Young protest, but he was already falling. He landed in a crouch just next to the pair before straightening up. "Oi, I don't mean to be rude," a bald-faced lie, "but you seem to be sitting on my friend's chest there."

He didn't even flinch as Moon Young dropped down beside him. After Dal Dal's nonchalant shortcut downstairs, he sort of figured that it must have been a common practice at Wild's.

""Choi Dal Dal, stop," Moon Young called.

"Lee Moon Young!" growled Dal Dal, shooting a glare at her. "What do you want? You've already got dibs on that other one, don't get greedy!"

"Queen said to bring him," Moon Young answered with a shrug, though not quite managing to dismiss the slight blush at Dal Dal's accusation. "You can go and interrogate her about it, if you want."

Grudgingly, Dal Dal lifted herself off Jae Gu fluidly, and Ichigo bent down to help him to his feet. The poor kid looked pretty shaken, and in all fairness, a girl _had_ just leapt from the second floor and elbowed her way through a thick glass window before trying to molest him. If he hadn't gone through all the shit he had, it would have unnerved the fuck out of Ichigo as well.

"You good?" Ichigo asked quietly, and Jae Gu nodded after a moment's pause.

"Yeah, I think so," he replied, "but what kind of school is this, to just let these girls act like this?"

"It's a fighting school," Ichigo said. "You knew that. Most, if not all, of these women have trained themselves constantly to improve themselves. Can't you see it in every move they make? There's no wasted energy at all. Quick, precise...and dangerous if you get on their bad side."

"Like you, Sunbae?" Jae Gu said with a weak sort of chuckle.

"I suppose so," Ichigo answered uncomfortably. He didn't exactly know how Goat-Face and Geta-Boushi expected him to relax in a school full of powerful fighters who also happened to be drooling over him like the last dango stick in the world. Okay, yes it was true that he'd taken on beings of immeasurable strength and come out on top, but without any reiatsu to speak of and against truly dedicated fighters it really could go either way.

"Anyway," Ichigo forged on, motioning for Moon Young's attention. "We should get to this Queen chick before she explodes from not having her orders followed immediately."

"Ah, excellent idea!" Moon Young said, gesturing for them to follow. "And if you try running off, you're dead~!"

Before they could get more than two paces away, Dal Dal called out, "Lee Moon Young! You watch yourself, and don't be so cocky just because you're Queen's friend! You better hope we don't meet in the Wild's League!"

Moon Young chuckled condescendingly. "Don't joke around like that, dummy. What could you do, Tiny Bell?"

Ichigo watched as Dal Dal's eye twitched in irriation; apparently, that nickname didn't fly well with her. "What did you just say!? You're just the Queen's tool! Say it again if you wanna die right here..."

With little warning, Moon Young darted forward at blinding speed. Ichigo thought about catching her before she could take off the cat-eared girl's head off, but he sensed no true antagonism behind Moon Young's charge, so he let her be.

His instincts proved good, as Moon Young's bandaged fist stopped just short of decapitating Dal Dal. Even still, the force of the punch sent Dal Dal's hair fluttering behind her.

"Silly bell." Moon Young's voice was low and dangerous. "If we were to meet at the Wild's League, you would die." Straightening from her stance, she spun and started walking again, as though nothing had happened. "Kurosaki Ichigo, Song Jae Gu...let's go."

They walked in silence for the most part. Moon Young would point out certain places of interest once in a while, and Ichigo sometimes commented on them, but mostly his attention was on Jae Gu, who seemed to be deep in thought.

"Are all women like this?" Jae Gu finally whispered to him while Moon Young described some of the fighting arenas around school. "So terrifying and...gruesome?"

Ichigo didn't really know how to answer that. In his own experience, yes, all women were totally nuts. Then again, most of the females he'd had the dubious pleasure of meeting couldn't exactly be called normal. Even Yuzu and Karin had their quirks, and he wouldn't even get into the girls in his first-year high school class. Perhaps insanity _was_ the norm when it came to women?

Then again, it wasn't like _he_ could be considered normal in any sense of the word. Nor were any of his male friends and acquaintances just 'regular dudes.' It was probably just his luck that everyone he met was totally bananas.

But he knew that every one of those people were the way they were because of their past experiences, and the influences of their loved ones and friends, and even their enemies. And if Aizen Sosuke had taught Ichigo anything at all, it was that appearances could be very deceiving.

Instead, he simply said, "Don't judge a person just by first impressions, Jae Gu. Get to know them first before you pass them off; they might surprise you."

"Good answer," Moon Young called back, and Jae Gu blushed at having been overheard. "He's right, though, Song Jae Gu. At first, I thought Kurosaki Ichigo was just some punk bitch, what with that scowl. But seeing him act around you, I realize now that he's just a big mushy pile of shyness!"

"Wh-why do people keep saying that!?" Ichigo sputtered indignantly. "I am _not _shy or _mushy_! What does that even mean?"

"Oh?" Moon Young put on her most innocent face. "Then what are you, exactly?"

"I'm...I'm..." Ichigo struggled for a moment before landing on, "I'm complicated!"

Even Jae Gu laughed at that one, and Ichigo shot him a betrayed look.

Eventually, they made it back to the second floor, to the classroom Ichigo had been in before. This Queen woman was sitting by the window, her posture impeccable even in the uncomfortable school desk. She was the picture of aristocratic elegance, bored expression and all. Hell, if her hair had been black, she could've passed as a Kuchiki easy.

"Song Jae Gu, Kurosaki Ichigo," Moon Young said after they were all inside and the door was closed. "You remember this morning, right? Yeah, this is the Queen, in the flesh, haha!"

Ichigo watched Jae Gu closely. The younger boy's ash-brown hair was covering his eyes, and the rest of his expression and body language gave away nothing.

"Is he frozen up?" Moon Young asked Ichigo, leaning over to get a better look at Jae Gu's face. "Hey, I'm serious, this is Queen!" At the continued underreaction, she added. "Hey! The real, 4-D Queen is in front of you. Why is this your reaction?"

Queen's dark eyes moved from Ichigo to Jae Gu, who held her gaze for a moment. "Her eyes are like Mom's," he breathed so that only Ichigo could hear.

_Oh, this might get weird..._

Before Ichigo could intervene in any way, Queen spoke up. "You," she addressed Jae Gu, carefully setting the change she had received earlier that morning onto the desk. "What is this? Did you do it without knowing what I meant?" Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Or did you know, but treated me like a beggar all the same?"

When Jae Gu didn't answer, she made a little _hmph_ noise, and slid the coins toward the edge of the desk. "Fine, whether you knew it or not..." She pushed the coins off the table, more than likely intending to make Jae Gu pick it up.

From what Ichigo knew, Jae Gu didn't have very much self-esteem to spare, and forcing him to kneel in front of Queen would probably wreck whatever was left. So before the coins hit the ground, Ichigo stooped and snatched them out of the air.

"Well, what do you know?" he quipped in what he hoped was a light-hearted tone. "Looks like we can get Jae Hyung and Jae Som some ice cream on the way home, eh?" He nudged Jae Gu, who spared him the ghost of a smile.

Both Queen and Moon Young looked taken aback by his action, but Queen recovered quickly. "Whether you knew it or not," she continued, "if you beg on your hands and knees, I'll forgive you."

Jae Gu's tiny smile vanished quicker than Yoruichi's shunpo. When neither of them made to bend their knees, Queen reiterated, "Beg."

"Ooh, so commanding," muttered Moon Young.

Jae Gu's bangs shifted so his eyes met Queen's in a mutual glare full of loathing, then, quietly, he spoke. "Monster."

There was a moment of utter silence when Ichigo and Moon Young shared a bewildered glance before Queen's hand moved.

It was a very small tell, and anyone other than Ichigo might have missed it. But he had fought in battles where the difference between living and being utterly annihilated was the shift of a foot or a muscle tensing slightly.

So in the moment after that, when Queen wound up and let her hand fly, Ichigo stepped in front of Jae Gu and took the stinging slap to the cheek. He didn't let it show, but that had _really _hurt. With the power behind that strike along with what he'd seen that morning on the TV, he figured this Queen person could give Tatsuki a run for her money, and that was truly saying something.

"Oi, Joou-sama," Ichigo said, voice dripping sarcasm as he uttered her title. "Don't the school rules say you can't strike a person outside a ring?"

Moon Young strode over to Queen and placed a hand on her shoulder, whether for support or restraint Ichigo couldn't tell. "You can't just hit people willy-nilly!" she hissed at the blonde. She turned to Ichigo and asked, "Hey, are you okay?" But Ichigo waved her concern away.

Queen dug into her purse and pulled out a slip of paper. She tossed it in Ichigo's general direction and began striding away. "Use it for the medical treatment. Take it and piss off!"

"Where are you going?" Moon Young asked as Queen pulled out a phone. "What the hell are you _doing_?"

"Driver, I have to go home right now," Queen spoke into the cell. "Bring the car over."

As they left, Jae Gu glanced down at the piece of paper. It was a check worth a million won. "See," he muttered at the door. "You _are_ a monster."

Ichigo felt like shaking Jae Gu by the shoulders. "What the hell was _that_?" he snapped. "You can't just call people 'monster' without there being consequences. I don't know if you noticed, but that 'monster' who just walked away is a world-renowned martial artist!"

Jae Gu's dead expression slowly made way for a sick, miserable look as he picked up the check. "Sunbae, I'm sorry, but she...she just reminded me of my mother _so much_ that I couldn't hold back my feelings. I shouldn't have thought of..._her_. I need to go apologize and give her back this money!"

He made to go after her, but Ichigo held him back. "Give her a little time to cool off. We don't know this girl's circumstances, just like she doesn't know yours or mine. Tomorrow, we'll return the money first thing once we get to school. Alright?"

Jae Gu sighed and nodded. "Okay."

"Good," Ichigo said, closing that book for a while. "Now, should we go to the opening ceremony, or do you wanna skip it and head to the car wash?"

* * *

At the end of the day, as Jae Gu and Ichigo trudged back to Ichigo's apartment (_their home_, a warm part of his subconscious supplied), the brown-haired boy couldn't get the events of that day out of his head. He kept replaying the scenes in his mind's eye, feeling horrified at his own reactions, no matter how fueled they were by memories of his less-than-stellar mother.

How could he have called _anyone_ a monster like that? He wasn't a confrontational person, nor was he the type to just stick a label on a person he knew absolutely nothing about. Everything always seemed so...so _unfair_.

"Sunbae," he said, "how is it you're always so..." Jae Gu paused, searching for the right word. Calm didn't fit, since Ichigo was prone to prickly outbursts and moody spells from time to time. Arrogant wasn't right either, since Ichigo didn't necessarily flaunt whatever skill he had. "...so confident?"

Yes, that was it. No matter what, the young man he was quickly beginning to see as an older brother never seemed to feel uncomfortable in his own skin, like Jae Gu felt nearly constantly.

"Have you ever read _The Art of War_, Jae Gu?" Ichigo asked after a moment of thought. Jae Gu couldn't say that he had even _thought_ about picking up Sun Tzu's acclaimed work, so he shook his head.

"Me neither," Ichigo admitted freely with a sardonic little smirk. "But a lot of the stuff he wrote in there has become sort of common knowledge in the world's culture. One of the things that I eventually learned came from him that I've always kept in mind was that old saying: If you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles."

Jae Gu could see the wisdom in the adage; after all, everyone knew that knowledge was power.

"You wonder how I can always be so confident," Ichigo continued. "It's 'cause I know exactly what I'm capable of, and I know better than anyone else my flaws and weaknesses. But more than that, I know my enemy."

"Who is your enemy, Sunbae?" Jae Gu asked, wondering what sort of foes Ichigo could have.

"I thought you would know, Jae Gu," Ichigo said. "After all, you've been waging war against it for four years."

As he said that, Jae Gu realized exactly what enemy Ichigo was speaking of. Hadn't he just been musing earlier that simply living was a war, and that he couldn't afford to lose a single battle for the sake of his siblings?

Ichigo seemed to know that he'd cottoned on. "Yep. Here's another old saying I always liked: Life's a bitch, and then you die. Everyone's fighting the same war you have. Sure, it might vary from case to case, but there's not a person alive who hasn't fought to make it through to the next day. Some take it all in stride, some struggle with such a harsh reality, most are scattered somewhere in the middle. But in the end, we're all just insignificant little mites on a speck of mud floating in the black."

"Then," Jae Gu mumbled, more than ever feeling the soul-crushing despair he wrestled with every day of his life, "what does it all mean? Or is it meaningless to begin with?"

Ichigo smiled more naturally, and Jae Gu was astounded by the transformation. The older teen usually presented a face full of storm clouds and thunder, but a simple smile managed to seem like a summer sunrise all by itself.

"The meaning of life, Jae Gu," he said, patting his shoulder reassuringly, "is to _give life a meaning_." He turned to look forward again. "To me, living means protecting those who I care about, no matter what, and I think you're similar to me in that respect. It's part of the reason we get along so well."

Jae Gu was rather surprised to find how eloquent Ichigo could be when speaking about something so profound as the meaning of life, the universe, and...well, everything. Every time he thought he might have Ichigo pegged, the orange-haired boy would reveal yet another facet of his personality. The way he had articulated his thoughts so simply and yet in such a way that really hammered in the idea was really quite impressive.

Something in his chest that had been peering out of its cold haunts for the past few weeks finally raised its head for the first time in years. It took Jae Gu a moment to place the unfamiliar feeling, but he smiled when he did. It had been a very long time since he'd allowed himself to feel any sort of hope.

* * *

**After-Action Report: **Yes, more touchy-feely stuff to go through, but Jae Gu has taken his first steps on the road to becoming a certifiable badass. And with Ichigo showing him the ropes, I really can't wait for Han Gyul's dumb ass to try his shit. Ichigo's got a sort of warrior poet thing going on at the end there, I don't really know where it came from but I like it so it stays.

Speaking of things I like, I unashamedly admit to Ichi/Tatsu being my OTP in Bleach. Probably won't ever happen, but a guy can dream, right? Tatsuki won't really have that much of an impact on this particular story, but it's nice to think about. Who else would pay money to see Arisawa Tatsuki VS Yoon In Gyi (Queen)? If I play my cards right, I might just be able to work that in somewhere along the line.

Coincidentally, I've got a non-crossover Bleach story dealing with Ichigo and Tatsuki's relationship going on eight chapters, if anyone's interested...

Um, not much else, I suppose. Ichigo calls Queen **Joou-sama** which is what Japanese called foreign queens (i.e. Queen Elizabeth became Elizabeth-joou-sama) and I figure that it's more appropriate than some of the other similar Japanese words for female monarchs, so I went with that.

Any questions, comments, corrections, or otherwise can be left in a review or a PM (I'm not picky). Thanks for reading, and have a nice day!


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